State officials are expected to apply two types of herbicide to three ponds in Crofton today as part of their plan to kill the northern snakehead fish that infest at least one of the ponds.
The owners of the ponds -- two separate business entities -- have each signed leases with the state Department of Natural Resources through the end of the year that will allow scientists to treat the ponds. The herbicides will reduce oxygen levels in the water, preparing the ponds for the introduction of poison to kill the fish.
The 1691 Limited Partnership, which owns two smaller ponds, signed a lease with the state yesterday, said John Surrick, a DNR spokesman. The MacQuilliam Organization, which owns the large pond in which the voracious fish were discovered in June, signed Thursday.